Lived Experience Forum

[utopia]

@janedoe2. That's great news. Some may say 4 years is such a long time. But I think 4 years is a good investment in improving your mental health and your future.
Can I ask for specifics in how your psychiatrist did this? I don't mean for you to share your traumas or anything like that. More - how did he approach it. How was it different from 'normal' talk therapy or cbt and other therapies?

[janedoe2]

@utopia I basically sat opposite him and he had a pad and paper. He asked me to talk and he waited. I spoke/cried/laughed and learned. Not sure if it was CBT but he advised me of what was happening when I got stuck. He taught me I knew alot of the answers I needed just had to work through the experiences.

[Adge]

@utopia @janedoe2
The @ thing doesn't seem to work on this phone.
Yes long-term more traditional therapy seems to be the only other option - although there are many different types of that.
My psych is a is trained in EMDR & she is a trauma specialist - yet she won't do EMDR with me.
Adge

[utopia]

@Adge. Are you and your psych able to take the time to do long term therapy?
I believe there is new research being done all the time & I'm hopeful the professionals will come up with better treatments for those with long term or chronic PTSD.

[Shaz51]

that`s great news @janedoe2 xx, it is great to see you

Hello @utopia, @Decadian

glad to help @Adge 

[Adge]

Hi @utopia. Thanks @Shaz51

I've been in long-term therapy for quite some time - 6 & 1/2 years (until now), most recently. 4 & 1/2 years (until 17 years ago).

About 11 years (or more) of weekly therapy, in total.

Although it's been different issues or reasons that have got me started, each time.

I've had about 5 different therapists (psychologist) through all that - I've stuck with this current one (with a 1 year break in between) for 6 & 1/2 years so far.

I do get very frustrated with the progress of things sometimes, & I'm definitely willing to try different approaches.

I've had: Hypnotherapy, Bodywork & trauma coaching, & standard pychologist's approaches.

Unfortunately the disability services work that I've been back in for 5 & 1/2 years (most recently) - is definitely re-traumatising on a regular basis, because of the extreme client (physical & verbal) aggression that I'm being subjected to.

That does not help someone who is wishing to fully recover from CPTSD.

My physical energy resources have been so low - with chronic sleep apnea (fatigue), & recovering from 3 major bowel surgeries.

So despite my repeated efforts for 18 months (& a job change), I've so far been unable to obtain work that's less taxing on my resources.

Adge

[utopia]

@Adge. I can really see how that type of work, at the level you do, would be extremely triggeeing for your ptsd.
I understand the work can be very rewarding, but I wonder if you might be better off working in a less -violent - environment.
Is there something like a low level care in disability work like there is in the aged care sector?
Or could home care - be an alternative career? Just throwing ideas out there.
My PTSD was atarted from a workplace incident with a very dangerous person. My psychologist has explained to me - that I'm more susceptible to being re triggered because I've already had a big ptsd event. As he explained it - my body will react at a cellular level. Most likely in what others see as less stress free situations than the original trigger. So it's important for me to find a job where I am safe. Is that something that you think could also apply to you?

[Owlunar]

Hi @Adge

PTSD is a chronic condition - and I have done some thinking in this area and it seems there could be a genetic component here

My father's mother seemed to be always ill - Dad was very dismissive about it - so I didn't learn much about her condition - but I knew her well and she seemed to be struggling with health issues -

So he had several sons - and of her descendents 4 of us have chronic conditions - for me it's chronic pain - and I often wonder if it's harder for people to recover when it's in their DNA

When it comes to PTSD - I had it start after a car accident and my son died two days later from an unrelated event - and the stormy past of his troubled life was something really hard and complex - the reason that caused me to join this forum - it comes around every year

But thinking about it now I think I have not had a PTSD spell for a while lately I think that having shared all of this I have something useful to offer

One is that these things really happened to us and are happening to us - I have not needed to see my therapist now since February - and she said to me

The pain you have is real and serious - your past has been traumatic and it really happened - there are events in your past that make it easy to experience anxiety and bring the past back into focus. It's all real

Those words - it really happened - it was traumatic and it's all real seemed to slot into my mind like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle - but it was not as easy as it sounds

So for you - there is hope - it really happened and it's traumatic and sometimes on-going - so I think considering PTSD and CPTSD are possibly really similar - we sometimes have to live with chronic conditions -

My opinion is that it is real has helped me to accept it - of course the flashbacks from my car accident may return as the anniversary approaches - and my chronic pain is there - part of my life for a long time

The hope is that we can learn to accept all of this - it's horrible but normal to feel this way. Sometimes it can be overpowering and take the quality of our life with it

But it can - in time - heal - in spite of the scars

I wish you all the best

Dec

[Adge]

@utopiaYes, I think you are right - I'm more easily triggered because of many repeated or continuous traumas over several decades.

Less stressful (less triggering) work is important, & would help.

Unfortunately my psychologist has not acknowledged the cost of care (or many other types of work) to me, until very recently.

It was my pych who has expected me to remain in this line of work, for several years - despite my protests & insistence that it's been re-traumatising (& exhausting). Which she now seems to realise.

@OwlunarThanks for your insights & personal experience, that's helpful & makes a lot of sense.

Adge

[utopia]

How destructive that could have been @Adge. I think it's just pure luck that you've survived this far. Sometimes the experts just don't get the seriousness of a situation.
When I was getting sick at work - I kept telling my gp how stressful it all was. She didn't get it. It wasn't til my mum attended an appointment with me that the gp understood how sick I was getting.
I'm glad your psych is finally listening to you.